Now it's time to say goodbye...

I know, I have a bad habit of putting annoying songs in your head. And now, thanks to that headline, you have the Mickey Mouse Club theme haunting you, which is kind of unforgivable. I apologize. Try to hum something hipper (really, anything is hipper) to replace it.

But that headline is appropriate today, since Sen. Hillary Clinton officially and wholeheartedly endorsed Sen. Barack Obama on Saturday. This will not be the year that we elect the first woman president—but that just means the job is still open.

The next serious female candidate will have it easier. She won't be saddled with all that historic pressure. She (probably) won't be fighting the mixed blessing of a politically famous spouse. And with any luck, pundits will have gotten the message that emphasizing the first word of "female candidate" is less important than evaluating the validity of the second. And as Hillary Clinton said on Saturday "from now on, it will be unremarkable for a woman to win primary state victories, unremarkable to have a woman in a close race to be our nominee, unremarkable to think that a woman can be the President of the United States. And that is truly remarkable."

It's hard to know who the next serious female candidate will be. It might be Hillary Clinton again, if John McCain wins. There are several interesting and accomplished female members of congress and governors. But no one would have put Barack Obama on the short list in 2004. His candidacy shows that a smart and inspiring newcomer with great political instincts and the right message can overturn the conventional wisdom.

So, will the next female candidate be you? Would you consider running for office? Why or why not?